Pennsylvania Archives, Historical & Genealogical Societies

It is prudent to familiarize personally with virtually any repository in Pennsylvania that you simply might travel to by getting in contact with to the archive or library ahead of time.

A good number of, if not all, Pennsylvania repositories contain published resources that introduce its collections together with research policy.

Pennsylvania archives and historical organizations also provide On-line websites which provide comparable content. Many even possess down loadable data for some or parts from the collections.

It is mandated that each county support a historical society. In 1952 an archives was started in Philadelphia, the oldest city archives in the country. John Daly compiled a Descriptive Inventory to its holdings in 1970. The first county archives was established in Chester County in 1982 and is considered the model for the Commonwealth

List of Pennsylvania Archives

The Pennsylvania Archives Online – As one of the original 13 colonies, Pennsylvania played an important part in our nation’s early history. Many significant records were created and kept by Pennsylvania, as Philadelphia was both the site of the Continental Congress and the largest port of the time. Many of those early documents, and others through the 1800s, were transcribed into the published Pennsylvania Archives. These volumes should not be confused with the repository in Harrisburg where official colonial and state records are kept. The images here are pages from the 138-volume, 10-series set of the well-known collection of early government records transcribed and printed by the Commonwealth. The Pennsylvania Archives has been relied upon by scholars, genealogists, and historians for valuable historical information for over a century. The only online availability of virtually all of the Pennsylvania Archives is here, with free access, on Footnote.com.

List of Pennsylvania Libraries & Museums

State Library of Pennsylvania, Commonwealth Avenue and Walnut Street, P.O. Box 1601, Harrisburg, PA 17105-1601; Genealogies, local histories, maps, censuses, newspapers, periodicals, and city directories are at the state library.

List of Pennsylvania Periodicals

Genealogical periodicals make available quite a few sources of information, they are often missed by family history and genealogy researchers and genealogist in exploring for family history. A good number of regional and county genealogical and/or historical societies publish periodicals which include records having to do with the region or vicinity they support. Normally these publications carry articles involving records that are not offered elsewhere.

The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine– published by the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania since 1948, tends to focus on the Philadelphia area with some coverage of New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. The first issue was numbered volume 16, as it succeeded the society’s Publications of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, started in 1895.

The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography– is the publication of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. It contains excellent articles on Pennsylvania subjects although mostly with a historical focus, and since 1936 without “genealogical” material.

The Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society– has published the Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society Quarterly since 1974. It is one of the more important regional journals since it covers a large area with many fine articles and abstracts of source records.

Your Family Tree (1948-83)– Another journal that concerns the central and western parts of the commonwealth. Besides queries, it featured abstracts of wills, tax lists, grave marker inscriptions, and newspaper items.

Pennsylvania German Folklore Society– was issued in twenty-eight volumes from 1963-66, when it merged with the Pennsylvania German Society Proceedings, which since 1891 had produced sixty-three volumes. Many emigration and church records have been published in these periodicals.

Pennsylvania History – published by the Pennsylvania Historical Association since 1934. A cumulative index for volumes 1-28 is available at the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. ; National Genealogical Society Quarterly

The collection at the Friends Historical Library Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA 19081 ; The library has original and microfilmed Quaker records, mostly for Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and some for Virginia, including those for fourteen Pennsylvania meetings copied by Hinshaw but never published. While the basic meeting records are located at Swarthmore, other material can be found at Haverford College Library Quaker Collection Haverford, PA 19041-1392

List of Pennsylvania Historical & Genealogical Societies

For almost every state there is a state genealogical society, a state genealogical council, or both. Together with their own work, Pennsylvania groups quite often help synchronize the efforts of local societies inside the Pennsylvania. Their particular publications, newsletters and quarterlies, supplement those produced by way of the local societies.

Historical Society Of Pennsylvania. 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107; Phone: 215-732-6200, Fax: 215-732-2680. Founded in 1824, the historical society has published the Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography since 1877

Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society, 4400 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213; (412) 687-6811; Covering the western half of the commonwealth, the historical society has published The Western Pennsylvania Historical Magazine (now Pittsburgh History) since 1918, with cumulative indexes for volumes 1-43 and 44-53. The genealogical society, which has no formal office or library, publishes Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society Quarterly

Homestead & Mifflin Township Historical Society, 3000 Lebanon Church Rd., Ste 202, West Mifflin, PA 15122; phone: 412-600-0229; The Homestead and Mifflin Township Historical Society documents and preserves the historical artifacts and sites of the original Mifflin Township. Along with monthly meetings, the society sponsors many special events throughout the year

Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society of the United Church of Christ 555 West James Street Lancaster, PA 17603. loans microfilm of church records, covering German churches in Adams, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Columbia, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, and York counties, as well as a few for Maryland and Virginia. Many German church records, particularly for the German Reformed and Evangelical church, have been published in books and periodicals.

Presbyterian Historical Society 425 Lombard Street Philadelphia, PA 19147. has records of over 20,000 churches and has published the Journal of Presbyterian History since 1901.

List of Pennsylvania Newspapers & Publications

An updated version of Pennsylvania Newspapers and Selected Out-of-State Newspapers was published by the Pennsylvania State Library in 1984. The publication is organized according to county, city or town, and title. A newspaper project was also sponsored by Pennsylvania. It included identifying, cataloging, microfilming, and otherwise preserving old newspapers from around the state. The largest collection is available at the Pennsylvania State Library and microfilmed copies are available through inter-library loan programs. The library’s website lists its available records. The Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society, the Free Library of Philadelphia, and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh also have large newspaper collections available. There have also been several published newspaper abstracts.

Historical Newspapers from Pennsylvania (1719 – 1997)(genealogybank.com) Quickly find names and keywords in over 450 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in over 2,800 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!